Brush for cleaning gramophone records

ABSTRACT

A brush specially intended for cleaning gramophone records comprises a thick plate of moulded plastic material associated with a piece of velvet fabric, the plate being provided with a reservoir of liquid closed by a cover plate and capable of being supplied with a liquid suitable for moisturizing the tufts of velvet fabric.

United States Patent Moransais BRUSH FOR CLEANING GRAMOPHONE RECORDS [72] inventor:

[73] Assignee: Zafira France, La Boisse, Ain, France [22] Filed: June 17, 1970 [21] Appl. No.1 46,873

Charles Moransais, La Boisse, France [30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 19, 1969 France ..6920280 [52] U.S.Cl ..401/196, 401/6 [51] Int Cl ..B43m 11/06 [58] Field of Search ..401/l96, 198, 199, 6, 202, 401/205, 206; 15/104, 92, 94

[ 51 May 2,1972

Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles Attorney-Charles E. Baxley, Frank M. Nolan and Thomas E. Tate [57] ABSTRACT A brush specially intended for cleaning gramophone records comprises a thick plate of moulded plastic material associated with a piece of velvet fabric, the plate being provided with a reservoir of liquid closed by a cover plate and capable of being supplied with a liquid suitable for moisturizing the tufts of velvet fabric.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,133,308 5/1964 Claypool ..401/202 f M a I l I: l c l 1 BRUSH FOR CLEANING GRAMOPHONE RECORDS The invention relates to an improved brush which is remarkably well adapted to the cleaning of gramophone records.

Brushes are already known which consist of a piece of velvet fabric simply stuck on a suitable plate, in order to permit the cleaning of a gramophone record; the tufts of fibers formed on a fabric of this kind are particularly suitable to provide effective brushing and protection of the cut grooves of a record of this kind.

However, due to the method of fixing, generally effected by glueing, of the piece of velvet on the plate of a brush of this kind, it is practically impossible to provide the tufts of velvet with sufficient moisture to overcome the remarkably persistent effects of attraction of fine particles of dust by these records.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a remedy for these drawbacks.

The invention has for its object a brush comprising a plate with which are associated tufts of fiber having dimensions appropriate to those of the grooves of gramophone records.

According to the invention, the plate comprises a reservoir of liquid and means for supplying liquid from the said reservoir to the said tufts.

The tufts of fiber are preferably constituted by the usual tufts of a piece of velvet fabric fixed to the plate, and means for supplying liquid to the fibers comprise a spongy and elastic element which is applied against the back of the said piece of fabric.

It will be understood that by virtue of the capillary properties of a spongy element of this kind, the latter can form a reservoir which is remarkably appropriate for stable moisturization of small tufts of fiber and that the elasticity of this element permits a tension to be applied to the piece of fabric which is extremely suitable for the effective brushing of the very small groove flanks by tufts of the kind referred to.

In addition, a brush of this kind is advantageously formed of parts manufactured by mass production, by moulding from suitable plastic material, these parts being designed to permit rapid assembly of the brush by simple fitting operations.

Other characteristic features and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the description which follows below with reference to the accompanying drawings, this description and drawings being given solely by way of example and not in any limitative sense. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a brush according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a transverse section of the brush shown in FIG.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show views looking from above and from underneath an element of the brush of FIG. 1, to a smaller scale and with parts broken away;

FIGS. 5 to 8 are perspective views to a smaller scale of other parts of the brush shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, there can be seen a plate 1 on which is fixed a piece of velvet fabric 2 so as to form a brush for cleaning gramophone records.

The plate 1 of FIGS. 2 and 3 has the general shape of an elongated ellipse with a relatively large thickness. Each side wall of this plate comprises three rounded transverse indentations 3, identical to each other and symmetrically arranged with respect to the two axes of symmetry of the ellipse. The sizes of these indentations correspond to those of the fingers of the hand.

The upper face of the plate 1 is arranged in its central por tion in the form of an elongated recess 4 of small depth and adapted to be covered by a small plate 5 (FIGS. 3 and 5). This small plate has the form of an elongated diamond formed inside the contour of the upper face of the plate 1, and its central portion comprises a pivot pin 6 engaged in a hole 7 provided in the corresponding portion of the recess 4 so as to provide, by means ofa conventional fixing means by a washer 8, a pivotal mounting of the cover plate 5 thus constituted, on the plate 1.

The bottom of the recess 4 is in fact pierced with two elongated orifices 9 which open, together with the central hole 7, into a housing 10 of parallelepiped shape, opening into the lower face of the plate I (FIG. 4).

It should be noted that the plate 1 and the small plate 5 are produced by injection of plastic material into suitable moulds, and it will thus be understood that a retaining head for the washer 8 can be made by compressing under heat the extremity of the pivot pin 6 of plastic material after this latter has been engaged in the hole 7 of the plate 1 and in that of the washer 8 (FIG. 5). In addition, the longitudinal profile of the small plate 5 has a curved shape giving a concavity directed towards the pivot pin 6 which, in view of the relatively small thickness and the natural elasticity of the plastic material of which this plate is made, ensures a relatively hard friction contact of the two points 5a of this latter on the extreme portions of the plate 1.

It can thus be seen that a small rotation of the cover 5 ensures a disengagement of the points 5a from the plate 1 so as to permit it to pivot freely up to a quarter turn (arrow flFlG. 1), thus uncovering the end portions of the recess 4.

Finally, eight fingers l1, symmetrically distributed with respect to the two planes of symmetry of the plate I extend perpendicularly to the bottom of the housing 10.

Furthermore, in FIG. 6 there can be seen a sleeve 12 having a rectangular form in plan and comprising on one of its edges an outer flange 12a, the dimensions of which are such as to provide an easy friction engagement on the lateral faces of the housing 10.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, a porous and elastic element 13, made of poly-urethane foam and having the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, the length L and the width 1 of which are substantially greater than those of the sleeve 12, can be engaged in the compressed state inside this sleeve 12.

It should be stated that the piece of velvet fabric 2 has the shape of a rectangle, the dimensions of which are adapted to those of the foam element 13, so that this piece of fabric 2 can be applied against the portion of the element 13 which extends beyond the sleeve 12, and the edges of this piece can be folded back along the sides of this sleeve, to which they are fixed by means of a band 14 of rectangular shape.

It should be indicated that the sleeve l2 and the band 14 are advantageously produced by moulding from relatively flexible plastic material and that their dimensions are respectively adapted to a firm assembly of the piece of fabric 2 on the sleeve and to a practically force fit of the assembly thus formed in the housing 10.

The foregoing description makes it possible to appreciate that the elements described above can be manufactured industrially by mass production.

In addition, a plate 1 with a recess 4 and a housing 10 can be rapidly fitted with a cover 5 and may furthermore provide a sleeve 12 with a spongy element 13, after which this assembly can be covered by a piece of velvet 2 by means of a band 14.

It is then only necessary to engage such a fitted sleeve in the housing 10 of a plate 1 by pushing, in order to obtain an inexpensive brush.

It will be noted that during the course of this engagement, the fingers ll push back the spongy element 13 against the piece of fabric 2 in order to ensure good contact of these two elements. The reservoir formed underneath the recess 4 in the upper portion of the sleeve 12 can then be filled through the orifices 9 with a suitable liquid, in particular water, so as to ensure good moisturization of the piece of fabric 2, by virtue of the capillary nature of the element 13 and of the said fabric.

A polyurethane foam with open cells plays in fact the part of a pad, which regulates the proportion of humidity in this fabric by the effect of its natural retention of a liquid.

It will further be noted that the weft threads and the warp threads of the piece 2 comprise bundles of threads special to a velvet and form tufts which are respectively distributing along lines and rows which tend to be straight due to the effect of the thrust of the element 13, which is compressed inside its sleeve 12. This tensioning of the velvet by an elastic cushion is very well adapted to the cleaning of the small grooves of records.

IOI034 0304 it will of course be understood that the present invention is not limited to the terms of the foregoing description but comprises on the contrary all the alternative forms within the scope of those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A brush having an incorporated reservoir for a liquid, which reservoir is refillable, the brush intended for cleaning gramophone records and comprising in combination:

An outer plate having a peripheral flange forming a chamber open to the exterior,

a sleeve housed and secured in said chamber, said sleeve defining a central space to serve as the reservoir. and said sleeve being partly recessed forming with the flange of the plate a peripheral groove,

a spongy element introduced partially into the central space of the sleeve and projecting for the most part from said space,

a piece of cloth covering the spongy element, and

a belt introduced deformably into the groove between the flange and the sleeve and firmly maintaining edges of the piece of cloth against the sleeve.

I Ill:

2. A brush according to claim I wherein the plate has a free face provided with a recess pierced by at least one hole for communication with the central space forming the reservoir.

3. A brush according to claim 1 wherein the plate is equipped with a cover permanently fixed on the plate.

4. A brush according to claim 3 wherein the cover has a central axis passing through a corresponding hole so as to be able to rotate freely therein, said hole being formed in the plate, the cover being held in place elastically on the plate so as to be able to be raised slightly and placed in a position in which it uncovers the recess of the plate.

5. A brush according to claim 4 wherein the vicinity of the plate in which the cover is mounted is elastically deformable to permit movement of the cover.

6. A brush according to claim 1 wherein the plate has fingers extending perpendicularly to the inner face of the plate inside the central space of the sleeve forming a reservoir.

7. A brush according to claim 6 with the sleeve and the belt formed of relatively flexible plastic adapted to be closely mounted in the plate which is also made of plastic.

11 i Ill It II until-l we 

1. A brush having an incorporated reservoir for a liquid, which reservoir is refillable, the brush intended for cleaning gramophone records and comprising in combination: An outer plate having a peripheral flange forming a chamber open to the exterior, a sleeve housed and secured in said chamber, said sleeve defining a central space to serve as the reservoir, and said sleeve being partly recessed forming with the flange of the plate a peripheral groove, a spongy element introduced partially into the central space of the sleeve and projecting for the most part from said space, a piece of cloth covering the spongy element, and a belt introduced deformably into the groove between the flange and the sleeve and firmly maintaining edges of the piece of cloth against the sleeve.
 2. A brush according to claim 1 wherein the plate has a free face provided with a recess pierced by at least one hole for communication with the central space forming the reservoir.
 3. A brush according to claim 1 wherein the plate is equipped with a cover permanently fixed on the plate.
 4. A brush according to claim 3 wherein the cover has a central axis passing through a corresponding hole so as to be able to rotate freely therein, said hole being formed in the plate, the cover being held in place elastically on the plate so as to be able to be raised slightly and placed in a position in which it uncovers the recess of the plate.
 5. A brush according to claim 4 wherein the vicinity of the plate in which the cover is mounted is elastically deformable to permit movement of the cover.
 6. A brush according to claim 1 wherein the plate has fingers extending perpendicularly to the inner face of the plate inside the central space of the sleeve forming a reservoir.
 7. A brush according to claim 6 with the sleeve and the belt formed of relatively flexible plastic adapted to be closely mounted in the plate which is also made of plastic. 